Light-emitting device with improved brightness control and narrow frame and electronic apparatus with the light-emitting device

ABSTRACT

A light-emitting device and an electronic apparatus, which are capable of preventing reduction of the amount of current flowing through light-emitting elements and which have an excellent display characteristic, are provided. Cathode wiring lines  13  connected to a cathode  12  are provided to surround an effective area  2   a  outside the effective area  2   a  where a plurality of pixels  103 R, G and B having light-emitting elements are provided. First to third power source lines  103 G,  103 B and  103 R connected to pixel electrodes are provided between the cathode wiring lines  13  and the effective area  2   a.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 10/445,190, filed May 27,2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,053,548. The disclosure of the priorapplication is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a light-emitting device and anelectronic apparatus using the same.

2. Description of Related Art

Recently, organic electroluminescence (EL) display devices havinglight-emitting elements using an organic-light-emitting material betweena substrate, in which pixel electrodes are formed, and a counterelectrode draw attention (Please refer to patent document 1).

In the organic EL display devices, the light-emitting elements emitlight by supplying current to the light-emitting elements. At that time,the brightness of the light-emitting element is determined by the amountof current basically supplied thereto.

[Patent Document 1]

Gazette of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No.5-3080.

It is necessary to accurately set the amount of current to have adesired value because the brightness of such light-emitting elements isbasically determined by the amount of supplied current.

In order to secure sufficient amount of current, the width of wiringlines for supplying current increase. Accordingly, a frame areaincreases. Therefore, it is difficult to mount light-emitting elementson various electronic apparatuses.

In view of the above difficulty, it is an object of the presentinvention to secure sufficient amount of current or to prevent change inthe brightness of the light-emitting element due to change in powersource voltage. It is another object of the present invention to providea light-emitting device and an electronic apparatus capable ofsatisfying the above necessities and of narrowing the frame.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A first light-emitting device according to the present inventioncomprises a plurality of pixels, which is provided in an effective areaon a substrate, including light-emitting elements having light-emittinglayers interposed between first electrodes and a second electrode; andelectrode wiring lines connected to the second electrode outside theeffective area. The electrode wiring lines are extended along at leastone side among a plurality of sides forming the outer periphery of thesubstrate and a plurality of sides forming the outer periphery of theeffective area.

Because the electrode wiring lines are extended along at least one sideamong a plurality of sides forming the outer circumference of thesubstrate, it is possible to secure sufficient area where the secondelectrode contacts the electrode wiring lines.

A second light-emitting device comprises a plurality of pixels, whichare provided in an effective area on a substrate, includinglight-emitting elements having light-emitting layers interposed betweenfirst electrodes and a second electrode; and electrode wiring linesconnected to the second electrode outside the effective area. Theelectrode wiring lines are provided in the effective area rather than inthe outer circumference of the second electrode.

According to the above light-emitting device, it is possible to securesufficient area where the second electrode contacts the electrode wiringlines line and to narrow a frame.

A third light-emitting device comprises a plurality of pixels, which areprovided in an effective area on a substrate, including light-emittingelements having light-emitting layers interposed between firstelectrodes and second electrode, electrode wiring lines connected to thesecond electrode outside the effective area, and a circuit disposedoutside the effective area for supplying electrical signals to theplurality of pixels. The second electrode is formed to cover theeffective area and the circuit.

According to the above light-emitting device, it is possible to preventthe exposure of the light-emitting element and the circuit to air anddeterioration by water or oxygen in the air. Also, it is possible toshield light from the second electrode and to prevent malfunction of thecircuit due to light leakage. Also, it is possible to remove chargesinjected from the outside by, for example, static electricity throughthe second electrode.

A fourth light-emitting device comprises a plurality of pixels, which isprovided in an effective area on a substrate, including light-emittingelements having light-emitting layers interposed between firstelectrodes and a second electrode; electrode wiring lines connected tothe second electrode outside the effective area; and power source linesconnected to the first electrodes outside the effective area througheffective area power source lines provided in the effective area. Thepower source lines are provided to be closer to the effective area thanthe electrode wiring lines.

According to the above light-emitting device, it is possible to reducerisk such as breaking of wiring because it is possible to reduce aportion where the electrode wiring lines crosses the power source lines.

Also, so called effective area power source lines specificallycorrespond to, for example, display power source lines 103 to bementioned later.

A fifth light-emitting device comprises a plurality of pixels, which isprovided in an effective area on a substrate, including light-emittingelements having light-emitting layers interposed between firstelectrodes and a second electrode; electrode wiring lines connected tothe second electrode outside the effective area; and power source linesconnected to the first electrodes outside the effective area througheffective area power source lines provided in the effective area. Thesecond electrode covers at least some of the power source lines and theelectrode wiring lines.

It is possible to form capacity between the second electrode and thepower source lines or between the second electrode and the electrodewiring line because the second electrode and at least some of the powersource lines and the electrode wiring lines overlap each other.Accordingly, even though voltage of the power source lines or voltage ofthe electrode wiring lines changes, it is possible to reduce the changeby a corresponding capacity and to suppress change in the brightness ofthe light-emitting element due to the change in the voltage of the powersource lines or the voltage of the electrode wiring lines.

A sixth light-emitting device comprises a plurality of pixels, which isprovided in an effective area on a substrate, including light-emittingelements having light-emitting layers interposed between firstelectrodes and a second electrode; electrode wiring lines connected tothe second electrode outside the effective area; and power source linesconnected to the first electrodes outside the effective area througheffective area power source lines provided in the effective area. Thepower source lines are formed of a plurality of wiring layers blocked byan interlayer insulating film and a conductive material electricallyconnecting the plurality of wiring layers to each other.

Accordingly, it is possible to reduce breaking of wiring in the powersource lines.

The above light-emitting device further comprises a sealing membercovering the second electrode. The sealing member is preferablyconnected to a connection portion on the substrate. At least some of theelectrode wiring lines preferably overlaps the connection portion. It ispossible to narrow the frame by effectively using the space of theconnection portion.

According to the above light-emitting device, it is preferable that thesubstrate is rectangular and that the electrode wiring lines arearranged between three sides among four sides forming the outercircumference of the substrate and the effective area.

It is possible to secure sufficient area where the electrode wiringlines are electrically connected to the second electrode because theelectrode wiring lines are provided around the effective area.

Furthermore, it is possible to prevent voltage drop caused by draggingwiring because it is possible to significantly reduce the wiring linesdistance between the plurality of pixels and the electrode wiring lines.

According to the above light-emitting device, scanning lines forsupplying scanning signal to the plurality of pixels and data lines forsupplying data signal to the plurality of pixels are preferably providedin the effective area. The electrode wiring lines are preferably formedof the same material as either the material of the scanning lines or thematerial of the data lines. The electrode wiring lines are preferablyformed of the same process as either the process of forming the scanninglines or the process of forming the data lines.

According to the light-emitting device, the electrode wiring lines arepreferably formed of a plurality of wiring layers blocked by aninterlayer insulating film and a conductive material electricallyconnecting the plurality of wiring layers to each other.

The light-emitting device preferably comprises a sealing member coveringthe second electrode. The sealing member is preferably connected to aconnection portion on the substrate. At least some of the power sourcelines preferably overlaps the connection portion.

According to the above light-emitting device, preferably, the firstelectrode is a pixel electrode and the second electrode is a commonelectrode provided above the pixel electrode.

According to the above light-emitting device, preferably, the firstelectrode is an anode and the second electrode is a cathode.

According to the above light-emitting device, the area occupied by aconnection portion where the electrode wiring lines are connected to thesecond electrode is preferably at least 50% of the area of the electrodewiring lines.

An electronic apparatus according to the present invention comprises theabove light-emitting devices.

The electronic apparatus has an excellent display characteristic becausethe electronic apparatus has the above light-emitting devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic plane view showing an embodiment of alight-emitting device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view taken along the line A-B of thelight-emitting device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a main portion of the light-emitting deviceshown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plane view of a wiring lines structure of thelight-emitting device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plane view showing the arrangement of alight-emitting layer, (a) shows a stripe arrangement, (b) shows a mosaicarrangement, and (c) shows a delta arrangement.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of an electronicapparatus using the light-emitting device according to the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

An embodiment of a light-emitting device according to the presentinvention will now be described hereinafter.

As shown in FIG. 4, in a light-emitting device 1 according to thepresent embodiment, a plurality of scanning lines 101, a plurality ofdata lines 102 extended to a direction crossing the scanning lines 101and a plurality of display power source lines 103 extended in parallelfor the data lines 102 are wired respectively.

Pixel areas A are formed in portions where the scanning lines 101 crossthe data lines 102.

A data driving circuit 104 having a shift register, a level shifter, avideo line and an analog switch is connected to the data lines 102. Ascan driving circuit 105 having the shift register and the level shifteris connected to the scanning lines 101.

Each pixel area A includes a switching thin film transistor 122 forsupplying scanning signal to a gate electrode through the scanning lines101, a storage capacitor cap for storing pixel signal supplied from thedata lines 102 through the switching thin film transistor 122, and adriving thin film transistor 123 for supplying the pixel signal storedby the corresponding storage capacitor cap to the gate electrode.Driving current is supplied from the display power source lines 103 whenlight-emitting elements 110 are electrically connected to the displaypower source lines 103 through the driving thin film transistors 123.Accordingly, the light-emitting elements 110 emit light.

When a scanning signal making the switching thin film transistors 122 ina turn-on state is supplied through the scanning lines 101, thelight-emitting device 1 is driven. Accordingly, the switching thin filmtransistors 122 are turned on. Data signal is supplied through theswitching thin film transistors 122 from the data lines 102 and isstored in the storage capacitors cap. The conduction state of thedriving thin film transistors 123 is set to be suitable for the amountof charges stored in the storage capacitor cap.

Driving current is supplied to the light-emitting elements 110 throughthe driving thin film transistors 123, pixel electrodes 111, and thedisplay power source lines 103, and thus, the light-emitting elements110 emit light with the brightness in accordance with the amount of thesupplied driving current.

As shown in FIG. 1, a pixel R showing red light emission, a pixel Gshowing green light emission and a pixel B showing blue light emissionare provided corresponding to a display area 2 a of the light-emittingdevice 1. The scanning lines 101 (not shown), the data lines 102 (notshown) and display power source lines 103 (not shown) are providedcorresponding to the pixels R, G and B. Though not shown, the displaypower source lines 103 are connected to first to third power sourcelines 103G, 103B and 103R outside the display region 2 a.

The first power source line 103G is arranged in a L-shaped between twosides 4 a and 4 c among four sides forming the outer circumference of acircuit board 4 and the display area 2 a. The first portion 103G1 of thefirst power source line 103G is provided between a side 4 a facing aside 4 d mounted with a flexible substrate 5 and the display area 2 a,more specifically, between a test circuit 106 and the side 4 a. Thefirst portion 103G1 of the first power source line 103 is extended tothe direction from the side 4 c to a side 4 b which are two sides facingeach other among the four sides forming the outer circumference of thecircuit board 4. The circuit board 4 is connected to the display powersource lines 103 provided in a pixel G in the first portion 103G1.

The second portion 103G2 of the first power source line 103G is extendedfrom the side 4 d among the sides mounted with the flexible substrate 5of the circuit board 4 to the side 4 a facing the side 4 d. The firstportion 103G1 and the second portion 103G2 are connected to each otherso that the first power source line is curved.

The second power source line 103B is L-shaped like the first powersource line 103G. The second power source line 103B is provided betweenthe two sides 4 a and 4 c among the four sides forming the outercircumference of the circuit board 4 and the first power source line103G. The second power source line 103B is connected to the displaypower source line 103 provided in a pixel B in the first portion 103B1of the second power source line 103B between the first portion 103G1 ofthe first power source line 103G and the side 4 a.

The third power source line 103R is L-shaped like the first power sourceline 103G and the second power source line 103B. The first portion 103R1of the third power source line 103R is provided between the firstportion 103B1 of the second power source line 103B and the side 4 afacing the side 4 d of the sides mounted with the flexible substrate andthe facing side 4 a among the four sides forming the outer periphery ofthe circuit board 4. The display power source line 103 provided in apixel R is connected to the first portion 103R1 of the third powersource line 103R.

The second portion 103R2 of the third power source line 103R is formedbetween the side 4 b and the display area 2 a. The side 4 b is a sidefacing the side 4 c among the sides formed by the second portions 103G2and 103B2 of the first power source line 103G and the second powersource line 103B.

A driving IC 6 is formed on the flexible substrate 5 mounted on the side4 d of the circuit board 4.

A test circuit 106 is provided between the display area 2 a and the side4 a. It is possible to examine the qualities and the defects oflight-emitting devices by the test circuit 106 during a manufacturingprocess or shipment process.

Two scanning line driving circuits 105 are provided between the displayarea 2 a and the second portion 103R2 of the third power source line103R and between the display area 2 a and the second portion 103G2 ofthe first power source line 103G, respectively.

A driving circuit control signal wiring lines 105 a for transmitting asignal for controlling the scanning line driving circuit 105 and adriving circuit power source wiring lines 105 b are provided between thescanning line driving circuit 105 and the second portion 103R2 of thethird power source line 103R and between the scanning line drivingcircuit 105 and the second portion 103G2 of the first power source line103G, respectively.

A cathode wiring lines 13 (counter electrode wiring lines or commonelectrode wiring lines) connected to a cathode 12 is provided among thethird power source line 103R, the second power source line 103B and thethree sides 4 a, 4 b and 4 c among the four sides forming the outercircumference of the circuit board 4. The cathode wiring lines areexternally U-shaped.

The first portion 13 a of the cathode wiring lines 13 is providedbetween the side 4 a facing the side 4 d mounted with the flexiblesubstrate 5 of the circuit board 4 and the first portion 103R1 of thethird power source line 103R, and is extended along the side 4 a. Thesecond portion 13 b and the third portion 13 c of the cathode wiringlines 13 are arranged along the sides 4 b and 4 c which are two sidesexcluding the sides 4 a and 4 d.

The cathode wiring lines 13 is preferably provided toward inside (thecenter of the circuit board 4) rather than the outer circumference 12 cof the cathode 12.

That is, the outer circumference 13 e of the cathode wiring lines 13(the upper edge of a first portion 13 a, the left edge of a secondportion 13 b and the right edge of a third portion 13 c) is preferablypositioned in the display area 2 a rather than in the outercircumference 12 c of the cathode 12.

The distance between the outer circumference 13 e of the cathode wiringlines 13 and the outer circumference 12 c of the cathode 12 ispreferably at least 1 mm (preferably at least 2 mm).

By such construction, even though an error occurs in the position wherethe cathode 12 is formed, it is possible to secure an area where thecathode 12 contacts the cathode wiring lines 13 and to let electricresistance in the portion where the cathode 12 is connected to thecathode wiring lines 13 be the desired electric resistance and less.

When the current density of the cathode 12 is not uniform, deteriorationof display quality such as non-uniformity of display may occur.Therefore, the cathode wiring lines 13 are preferably as wide aspossible in order to secure sufficient amount of current. For example,the width of the cathode wiring lines 13 is preferably at least thewidth of the power source line having the maximum width among the firstto third power source lines 103G, 103B and 103R. Furthermore, when thewidth of the cathode wiring lines 13 is at least the width obtained byadding the widths of the first to third power source lines 103G, 103Band 103R to each other, it is possible to reduce problems such asnon-uniformity in display.

The cathode wiring lines 13 are connected to the driving IC 6 (a drivingcircuit) on the flexible substrate 5 through a connection wiring lines 5a together with the driving circuit control signal wiring lines 105 a,the driving circuit power source wiring lines 105 b and the first tothird power source line driving circuits 103G, 103B and 103R.

FIG. 2 is a view showing the section of the light-emitting device 1. Thelight-emitting device includes the circuit board 4 and theelectro-optical layer 10 arranged on the circuit board 4.

Light-emitting elements 110 are provided in the display area 2 a of theelectro-optical layer 10. The light-emitting element 110 includes twofunctional layers, that is, a light-emitting layer 110 b and a holeinjecting/carrying layer 110 a, as shown in FIG. 3.

The light-emitting layer 110 b is a functional layer mainly in charge ofa light emission phenomenon where the hole injected from the holeinjecting/carrying layer 110 a is re-combined with electrons injectedfrom the cathode 12. In the present embodiment, the light-emittinglayers 110 b showing red, green and blue light emitting colors,respectively, in accordance with a pixel R emitting red light, a pixel Gemitting green light and a pixel B emitting blue light as shown in aplane view of the light-emitting device of FIG. 1 is arranged.

The light-emitting layer 110 b may be formed of organic-light-emittingmaterial such as tris (8-quinolinol) and aluminum complex Alq.

The hole injecting/carrying layer 110 a for improving the elementcharacteristics of element such as the light emitting efficiency and thelife of the light-emitting layer 110 b has a function of injecting holeinto the light-emitting layer 110 b and transports the hole inside thehole injecting/carrying layer 110 a.

The hole injecting/transporting layer 110 a is formed of polythiophenederivative such as polyethylene dihydroxy thiophene and a mixture suchas polystyrene sulfonate.

The light-emitting layer 110 b and the hole injecting/carrying layer 110a are arranged between the pixel electrode 111 and the cathode 12 abovethe pixel electrode 111.

The pixel electrodes 111 are formed of, for example, ITO and arepatterned to be almost rectangular in a plane. The thickness of thepixel electrode 111 is preferably between 50 and 200 nm, in particular,about 150 nm.

The cathodes 12 are formed to cover at least the entire surface of thelight-emitting elements 11 in the display area 2 a, as shown in FIG. 2.In the present embodiment, the cathode 12 covers a dummy area 2 d. Thedummy area 2 d is used for stabilizing the discharge amount of amaterial of forming the light-emitting element before forming thelight-emitting element 110 mainly using an inkjet process. That is, sucharea is for performing a test.

The cathode 12 may be single-layered, however, may be multi-layered likethe light-emitting device according to the present embodiment. Forexample, the cathode 12 may have a structure where a first layer 12 aformed of calcium and a second layer 12 b formed of aluminum are stackedtherein.

It is possible to give an optical function to either the first layer 12a or the second layer 12 b. For example, it is possible to effectivelyreflect light emitted by the light-emitting element 110 by forming thesecond layer 12 b of aluminum as described above. In this regard,efficiency of extracting light from a base 2 is improved.

In case of extracting light from the cathode 12, it is preferable tomake the cathodes 12 thin in order to secure sufficient opticaltransmittance. In this case, the cathode 12 is preferably formed of athin-filmed metal including elements such as Ag, Mg, an alloy of Ag andMg, Pt, Ir, Ni and Pd.

The cathode 12 may be formed by a vapor deposition method, a sputteringmethod and a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method.

A protective layer formed of SiO, SiO₂ and SiN may be formed on thecathode 12 in order to prevent invasion and transmission of materialssuch as water and oxygen that deteriorate the cathodes 12, thelight-emitting layers 110 b and the hole injecting/carrying layers 110a.

The light-emitting layer 110 b and the hole injecting/carrying layer 110a are separated from the light-emitting layer 110 b and the holeinjecting/carrying layer 110 a of the light-emitting element 110adjacent to a bank 112. The bank 112 is formed of a plurality of layersas shown in FIG. 3. An active element layer 14 is formed by stacking aninorganic bank layer 112 a (a first bank layer) and an organic banklayer 112 b (a second bank layer) positioned in the cathode 12.

Some of the inorganic bank layer 112 a and some of the organic banklayer 112 b are formed to overlap the edge of the pixel electrode 111.

The inorganic bank layer 112 a is formed more toward the center of thepixel electrode 111 than the organic bank layer 112 b.

The inorganic bank layer 112 a is preferably formed of inorganicmaterials such as SiO₂ and TiO₂. The thickness of the inorganic banklayer 112 a is between 50 and 200 nm, in particular, about 150 nm.

The organic bank layer 112 b is formed of heat-proof and solvent-proofmaterials such as acryl resin and polyamide. The thickness of theorganic bank layer 112 b is preferably between 0.1 and 3.5 μm, inparticular, about 2 μm.

A sealing substrate 34 is provided above the electro-optical layer 10 inorder to suppress or prevent the transmission of materials such as waterand oxygen in outside air, which deteriorate the cathodes 12 or thelight-emitting elements 110, into the electro-optical layers 10. Thesealing substrate 34 is formed of, for example, glass, quartz, a metaland synthetic resin. In case of extracting the light of thelight-emitting element 110 from the cathode 12, the sealing substrate 34is preferably formed of materials having sufficient opticaltransmittance such as glass, quartz and synthetic resin.

A concave portion 34 a for receiving the electro-optical layer 10 isprovided in the electro-optical layer 10 of the sealing substrate 34. Itis preferable to arrange a getter 35 for absorbing water and oxygen inthe concave portion 34 a.

The sealing substrate 34 is connected to the circuit board 4 through asealing resin 33. The sealing resin 33 is preferably formed of materialsthat attach the sealing substrate 34 to the circuit board 4,furthermore, materials that suppress or prevent the transmission ofmaterials such as water and oxygen, which deteriorate the cathodes 12and the light-emitting elements 110, into the inside of theelectro-optical layers 10.

The sealing resin 33 is formed of, for example, thermosetting resin andultraviolet setting resin. In particular, the sealing resin 33 ispreferably formed of epoxy resin which is a kind of the thermosettingresin.

The outer circumference 12 c of the cathode 12 is preferably held insidethe sealing resin 33 in order to maintain sufficient sealingcharacteristic. However, in order to narrow a frame, it is preferablethat some of the sealing resin 33 overlaps the outer circumference 12 cof the cathode 12 and that the cathode 12 is not extended to the outsideof the sealing resin 33, as shown in FIG. 2. That is, it is preferablethat the cathode 12 does not reach the outer circumference 33 a of thesealing resin.

The circuit board 4 includes an active element layer 14. The cathodewiring lines 13, the first to third power source lines 103R, 103G and103B, the driving circuit control signal wiring lines 105 a, the drivingcircuit power source wiring lines 105 b, the data lines 102 (not shown),the scanning lines 101 (not shown), the display power source lines 103(not shown), the driving thin film transistor 123, the switching thinfilm transistor 122 (not shown), the thin film transistor 124 includedin the scanning line driving circuit 105 provided between the displayarea 2 a and a side forming the outer circumference of the circuit board4, and a thin film transistor (not shown) for the test circuit 106 areprovided in the active element layer 14. The data lines 102 (not shown),the scanning lines 101 (not shown), the display power source lines 103(not shown), the driving thin film transistor 123, and the switchingthin film transistor 122 (not shown) are provided corresponding to thedisplay area 2 a as shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cathode wiring lines 13, the first to thirdpower source lines 103R, 103G and 103B, the thin film transistor, (notshown), the driving circuit control signal wiring lines 105 a, thedriving circuit power source wiring lines 105 b, the data lines 102 (notshown), the scanning lines 101 (not shown), the display power sourcelines 103 (not shown), the driving thin film transistor 123, and theswitching thin film transistor 122 are covered with the cathode 12. Thethin film transistor, (not shown), the driving circuit control signalwiring lines 105 a, and the driving circuit power source wiring lines105 b are included in the scanning line driving circuit. The data lines102 (not shown), the scanning lines 101 (not shown), the display powersource lines 103 (not shown), the driving thin film transistor 123 andthe switching thin film transistor 122, which are provided correspondingto the display area 2 a shown in FIG. 1. Although not shown in FIG. 2,the thin film transistor included in the test circuit 106 is preferablycovered with the cathode 12.

The cathode wiring lines 13 include a plurality of conductive layers(wiring layers) blocked by a first interlayer insulating film 144a. Thatis, the cathode wiring lines 13 is formed of the plurality of conductivelayers and a conductive material for electrically connectingcorresponding the plurality of conductive layers to each other. Thecathode wiring lines 13 overlaps the position where the sealingsubstrate 34 is connected to the circuit board 4. That is, the cathodewiring lines 13 is provided below the sealing resin 33.

The conductive layer may be formed of the material of forming thescanning lines 101 and/or the material of forming the data lines 102.

More specifically, the conductive layer may be formed of Al, Mo, Ta, Ti,W, Cu, TiN and an alloy of Al, Mo, Ta, Ti, W, Cu and TiN.

The first to third power source lines 103G, 103B and 103R are formed ofa plurality of conductive layers blocked by the first interlayerinsulating film 144 a. That is, the first to third power source lines103G, 103B and 103R are formed of the plurality of conductive layers anda conductive material electrically connecting the correspondingconductive layers to each other.

At least some of at least any one of the first to third power sourcelines preferably overlaps the position where the sealing substrate 34 isconnected to the circuit board 4.

The conductive layer may be formed of the material of forming thescanning lines 101 and/or the material of forming the data lines 102.More specifically, the conductive layer may be formed of Al, Mo, Ta, Ti,W, Cu, TiN and an alloy of Al, Mo, Ta, Ti, W, Cu and TiN.

The driving circuit control signal wiring lines 105 a and the drivingcircuit power source wiring lines 105 b are provided on the firstinterlayer insulating film 144 a and are formed on the same layer as thelayer of the data lines 102 and/or the layer of the display power sourcelines 103 or by the same process as the process of forming the datalines 102 and/or the process of forming the display power source lines103.

The driving circuit control signal wiring lines 105 a and the drivingcircuit power source wiring lines 105 b may be formed of employing thesame materials as the materials of the first to third power sourcelines.

The scanning lines 101, the data lines 102 and the display power sourcelines 103 are provided in the first interlayer insulating film 144 a oron the first interlayer insulating film 144 a.

The driving thin film transistor 123 includes a semiconductor film 141.A drain area 141 a, a source area 141 b and a channel area 141 c areformed in the semiconductor film 141 by injecting highly concentratedboron ions.

The semiconductor film 141 is formed on a base protective film 2 c. Thebase protective film 2 c suppresses the transmission of materials suchas moving ions, oxygen and water from the base 2, which deteriorate thethin film transistor.

A gate insulating film 142 covering the semiconductor film 141 is formedon the semiconductor film 141. A gate electrode 143 formed of Al, Mo,Ta, Ti and W is formed on the gate insulating film 142. Some of the gateelectrode 143 and the gate insulating film 142 are covered with thefirst interlayer insulating film 144 a.

As shown in FIG. 3, contact holes 145 and 146 for connecting drain andsource areas 141 a and 141 b of the semiconductor film 141 to the pixelelectrode 111 and the display power source lines 103, respectively, areformed in the first and second interlayer insulating films 144 a and 144b.

The drain area 141 a is connected to the pixel electrode 111 provided onthe second interlayer insulating film 144 b through the contact hole 145formed in the second interlayer insulating film 144 b. The source area141 b is connected to the display power source lines 103 through thecontact hole 146 formed in the first interlayer insulating film 144 a.

It is possible to obtain the following effects by the light-emittingdevice 1 according to the present embodiment.

It is possible to secure sufficient area where the cathode wiring lines13 contacts the cathode 12 and to minimize electric resistance (contactresistance) between the cathode wiring lines 13 and the cathode 12because the first to third portions 13 a, 13 b and 13 c of the cathodewiring lines 13 are extended in left to right or up to down direction.

Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the reduction of the amount ofcurrent supplied to the light-emitting element 110 due to voltage drop,which is caused by the electric resistance.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of brightness,non-uniformity of display and contrast in the light-emitting element 110and to obtain remarkable display characteristic.

It is possible to significantly reduce the distance between thelight-emitting element 110 in any position and the cathode wiring lines13 because the cathode wiring lines 13 is formed above and below, and onthe left and right of the display area 2 a so as to surround the displayarea 2 a.

For example, in the light-emitting element 110 positioned above thedisplay area 2 a, current that passed through the light-emitting element110 flows through the first portion 13 a. In the light-emitting element110 positioned below the display area 2 a, current flows through thesecond or third portions 13 b or 13 c.

Accordingly, it is possible to reduce unbalance in the amount ofsupplied current due to the position of the light-emitting element 110.

Therefore, it is possible to uniform the brightness of the display area2 a.

Because the cathode wiring lines 13 is provided inside (the center ofthe substrate) rather than the outer circumference 12 c of the cathode12, even though a little error occurs in the position where the cathode12 is formed (for example, even though the position where the cathode 12is formed deviates in up to down or left to right direction), it ispossible to form the cathode 12 so as to cover the cathode wiring lines13.

Accordingly, it is possible to secure sufficient area where the cathode12 contacts the cathode wiring lines 13. Therefore, it is possible toprevent the increase of the electric resistance between the cathode 12and the cathode wiring lines 13 and to prevent the deterioration oflight emitting brightness.

Because the display area 2 a, the scanning driving circuit 105, thedriving circuit control signal wiring lines 105 a, the driving circuitpower source wiring lines 105 b, the test circuit 106, the first tothird power source lines 103G, 103B and 103R and the cathode wiringlines 13 are formed to be covered with the cathode 12, it is possible toprevent them from being exposed to air. Accordingly, it is possible toprolong period of time where the light-emitting device is used.

Because the display area 2 a, the scanning line driving circuit 105 andthe test circuit 106 are covered with the cathode 12, it is possible toprevent the malfunction of the thin film transistors included in thecircuits due to light.

It is possible to improve tolerance of the light-emitting device againststatic electricity. Charges injected by static electricity can berapidly removed through the cathode 12.

The cathode wiring lines 13 is arranged more toward the outercircumference of the circuit board 4 than the first to third powersource lines 103G, 103B and 103R. The cathode 12 connected to thecathode wiring lines 13 is formed to cover the first to third powersource lines 103G, 103B and 103R.

Accordingly, it is possible to form electric capacitance between thecathode 12 and the first to third power source lines 103G, 103B and103R. Even though the voltages of the first to third power source lines103G, 103B and 103R change from predetermined values, it is possible tomitigate the change by the corresponding capacitance.

In the light-emitting device 1 shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, the cathodewiring lines 13 is formed of the first to third portions 13 a, 13 b and13 c in a U-shaped. However, according to the present invention, theshape of the cathode wiring lines is not restricted to such theU-shaped.

In the cathode wiring lines according to the present invention, at leastsome portion is preferably extended to a predetermined direction. Forexample, the cathode wiring lines may include any one among the firstthrough third portions 13 a, 13 b and 13 c. The cathode wiring lines mayinclude two among the first to third portions 13 a, 13 b and 13 c.

The cathode wiring lines may be rectangular to have a fourth portionextended horizontally along a lower side 4 d below the circuit board 4further to the first to third portions 13 a, 13 b and 13 c as shown inFIG. 1.

The shape of the cathode wiring lines is not restricted straight lines.For example, at least some portions of the cathode wiring lines may beformed in curved lines.

According to the above embodiment, the pixel electrode 111 is an anode.However, even though the pixel electrode 111 is a cathode and thecathode 12 is an anode, it does not deviate from the scope of thepresent invention.

In the light-emitting device 1 shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, thelight-emitting elements 110 of the pixel R, the pixel G and the pixel Bare arranged in stripe. However, the present invention is not restrictedto such stripe arrangement. The light-emitting elements 110 may bearranged to have various arrangements. For example, a mosaic arrangementshown in FIG. 5( b) and a delta arrangement shown in FIG. 5( c) can beadopted other than the stripe arrangement shown in FIG. 5( a).

A detailed example of an electronic apparatus having the light-emittingdevice 1 will now be described.

FIG. 6( a) is a perspective view showing an example of a mobiletelephone. In FIG. 6( a), reference numeral 600 denotes the main body ofa mobile telephone and reference numeral 601 denotes a display unitusing the light-emitting device.

FIG. 6( b) is a perspective view showing an example of a portableinformation processing apparatus such as a word processor and a personalcomputer (PC). In FIG. 6( b), reference numerals 700, 701, 702 and 703denote an information processing apparatus, an input unit such as akeyboard, a display unit using the above light-emitting device and themain body of the information processing apparatus, respectively.

FIG. 6( c) is a perspective view showing an example of a wrist watchtype electronic apparatus. In FIG. 6( c), reference numeral 800 denotesthe main body of a watch and reference numeral 801 denotes a displayunit using the light-emitting device.

The aforementioned electronic apparatus has an excellent displaycharacteristic because the electronic apparatus includes the displayusing the light-emitting device according to the present invention.

1. A light-emitting device, comprising: a first substrate; a secondsubstrate mounted along a first side of the first substrate; a firstelectrode; a second electrode; an effective area in which a plurality ofunit circuits are formed, the unit circuits having (i) light-emittingelements including light-emitting layers interposed between the firstand second electrodes, and (ii) switching elements that drive thelight-emitting elements; power source lines connected to the firstelectrode outside of the effective area, via effective area power sourcelines arranged in the effective area; electrode wiring lines formedalong three sides of the first substrate not including the first side ofthe first substrate, the electrode wiring lines being connected to thesecond electrode across the three sides of the first substrate notincluding the first side of the first substrate, and the power sourcelines being arranged in a position in which the power source lines andthe electrode wiring lines do not intersect each other in plan view. 2.The light-emitting device according to claim 1, the power source linesbeing arranged between the electrode wiring lines and the effectivearea, and in a position in which the electrode wiring lines and thepower source lines for the effective area do not intersect each other inplan view.
 3. The light-emitting device according to claim 1, the powersource lines being formed by a plurality of wire layers partitioned byan interlayer insulating film, and by conductive material electricallyconnecting the plurality of wire layers to each other.
 4. Thelight-emitting device according to claim 3, data lines being arrangedfor supplying data signals to a plurality of pixels; and scanning linesbeing arranged for supplying scanning signals to the plurality ofpixels, the power source lines being formed by a plurality of wirelayers constituted by the same material as the scanning lines and thedata lines.
 5. The light-emitting device according to claim 3, theswitching element being a thin film transistor having a gate electrode,a first electrode and a drain electrode, the power source lines beingformed by a plurality of wire layers constituted by the same material asthe gate electrode and the source electrode or the drain electrode. 6.An electronic apparatus, comprising: the light-emitting device accordingto claim
 1. 7. A light-emitting device, comprising: an effective area inwhich a plurality of unit circuits are formed, the unit circuits having(i) light-emitting elements including light-emitting layers interposedbetween first and second electrodes and (ii) switching elements thatdrive the light-emitting elements; electrode wiring lines connected tothe second electrode outside of the effective area; and a drivingcircuit that is arranged outside of the effective area and supplieselectrical signals to the unit circuits, the driving circuit beingarranged between the electrode wiring lines and the effective area, andthe electrode wiring lines being arranged closer to the effective areathan an outer edge of the second electrode.
 8. The light-emitting deviceaccording to claim 7, wherein a substrate on which the effective area isarranged has a rectangular shape, and the electrode wiring lines arearranged between (i) four sides forming an outer periphery of thesubstrate and (ii) the effective area.
 9. The light-emitting deviceaccording to claim 8, wherein the electrode wiring lines are arranged soas to surround the effective area.
 10. A light-emitting devicecomprising: an effective area in which a plurality of unit circuits areformed, the unit circuits having (i) light-emitting elements includinglight-emitting layers interposed between first and second electrodes and(ii) switching elements that drive the light-emitting elements; adriving circuit that is arranged outside of the effective area and thatprovides electrical signals to the unit circuits, a plurality of powersource lines connected to the first electrode outside of the effectivearea, via effective area power source lines arranged in the effectivearea; and electrode wiring lines connected to the second electrodeoutside of the effective area, the driving circuit being arrangedbetween the power source lines and the effective area, and a line widthof the electrode wiring lines being wider than a line width of a powersource line having the maximum line width among the plurality of powersource lines.
 11. The light-emitting device according to claim 10,wherein the plurality of power source lines are constituted by firstpower source lines corresponding to light-emitting elements that emitgreen, second power source lines corresponding to light-emittingelements that emit blue, and third power source lines corresponding tolight-emitting elements that emit red, and the line width of theelectrode wiring lines is wider than a total of line widths of therespective first through third power source lines.
 12. Thelight-emitting device according to claim 10, wherein the effective areais formed of a plurality of pixels provided with light-emitting elementshaving light-emitting layers interposed between first and secondelectrodes on a substrate, electrode wiring lines are connected to thesecond electrode outside of the effective area, and a portion at whichthe electrode wiring lines and the second electrode are connectedextends along (i) the effective area and (ii) at least one side among aplurality of sides forming an outer periphery of the substrate.
 13. Thelight-emitting device according to claim 12, wherein the substrate has arectangular shape, and the portion at which the electrode wiring linesand the second electrode are connected is arranged between (i) three offour sides forming the outer periphery of the substrate, and (ii) theeffective area.